Interconnect Built-In Self Test (“IBIST”) is a technology that allows a user to test the high speed interconnections between devices within an electrical system. The electrical system can be composed of one or more printed circuit boards. Accordingly, the devices must be integrated with the IBIST technology to enable this testing. The interconnections or buses between IBIST devices can be tested at functional speeds. For one type of IBIST test, the IBIST devices transmit test patterns across the bus to another receiving IBIST device. The receiving device compares the actual test patterns received against the expected test patterns to determine if the bus is functioning correctly. Accordingly, the receiving device can determine if the patterns were transmitted accurately. In another type of IBIST test, the receiving IBIST device may also be the transmitting device. In this case another device must loop back the test patterns to the transmitting IBIST device.
IBIST tests are controlled by configuring registers in IBIST devices. Today this is done by writing software (ITP scripts) to set bits within registers that control the different options that make up an IBIST test. ITP is a test harness software, which is commonly used for large test runs. For each new chip set that is released, new ITP scripts must be written.
To create these ITP scripts a user must be familiar with the registers of the IBIST devices. Each register, of course, includes one or more fields that are adjacent bit groups. This familiarity requires a detailed layout of the registers and fields of the devices. The user must also have a detailed knowledge of the ITP software and computer programming expertise. Due to these problems it can be difficult to create accurate IBIST tests. A method that could enable an unsophisticated user to run these IBIST tests would be an improvement over the prior art.